Northwest Tour Feature Story

Current Southwest series points leader Eddy McKean and Burney Lamar, the number three man on the points ladder, plan to give Kevin Hamlin, Gary Lewis, Garrett Evans and the rest of the Northwest’s best a run for their money in the Napa 150.

“I just want to have fun,” McKean said. “I think it will be great racing with the Northwest guys. They have a lot of talent and are real competitive. With Burney, Scott (Lynch, another Southwest star entered for the event) and myself mixing it up, it will make for a real fun night.”

Lamar, unlike hometown favorite McKean, has never raced at Magic Valley Speedway. That statistic does not dissuade him from entering the Napa 150. “It is going to be great to race against Kevin Hamlin, Garrett Evans, and Gary Lewis,” he said. “Garrett Evans is the man, he has done so much in the Northwest series and he is always tough when he heads south to run with us.”

Tough is an understatement when it comes to Evans, Hamlin, and Lewis’ Magic Valley accomplishments.

Evans is the only two-time winner of the Napa 150. Lewis has grabbed three of the four Bud Pole Awards contested on the .333-mile oval and won the most recent Napa 150, held in August of 2000. Hamlin had a top-5 finish in that same race and runs the two-groove track very well.

Lewis for one looks forward to the challenge of defending the Northwest turf against the Southwest stars. “We always look forward to having some new talent come and race with us,” he said. “Eddy is a great racer and we both race for Victory Circle race cars, however, I think we all plan on kicking some Southwest series butt this weekend.”

Hamlin acknowledged that track position; no matter who is in the race would be key to a victory in the Napa 150. “You’ve got to know where you’re at on the track, and the position you’re in. I have to ask myself if it’s time to go for that next position or can we just ride where we are at. Things like you have to ask yourself (at Twin Falls) and communicate to your spotter about during the race.”

McKean, a former Magic Valley Speedway champion, agrees that the track is a tough animal to tame. “The track can be tricky and difficult to pass on, you typically have to be a few tenths quicker to pass. The guy that hits the set-up to work on the outside will have the advantage."

“I am really looking forward to racing at Magic Valley. I have never seen the race track, but I love the challenge of a new track,” Lamar said. “Since this is a non-points race for us and the fact that it is on SPEED Channel, I really want to win. We’ve worked hard on the car all week to get ready, we’ll be fast.”

For hometown NASCAR hero McKean, the chance to race in front of family and friends is a big motivation to do well in the Napa 150.

“Over the past month I have been working with Steve York (Magic Valley Speedway promoter) doing autograph sessions, personal appearances, and TV spots to promote the race. The area fans are real excited to have the Northwest series back. I plan on shooting for a top-3 finish, this is not a points race for us so my goal is to win.”

The Napa 150 takes place September 14 at Magic Valley Speedway beginning at 9:00 p.m. MST. The race will be televised October 7 on SPEED Channel as part of its NASCAR Monday package. Ticket and other information can be found on the track’s website, www.magicvalleyspeedway.com or by calling (208) 734-3700.